19. North Carolina (4-0)
We’ve seen about what was expected out of North Carolina in the early going this season, as the Tar Heels have done more than enough to survive unscathed to this point. The big performance was that 13-point win last week against Kansas, as it’s been just mid-majors at home outside of that. The chance for this team to prove themselves is coming, but it’s hard to deny that some of these new pieces are fitting in just right.
The Tar Heels took on a talented Radford team to start the week and came away with an 89-74 win in the process. Luka Bogavac had 19 points, star freshman Caleb Wilson had 13 points and 14 rebounds, and North Carolina did exactly what was needed for win #3. The fourth win was much more of a sure thing, as the Tar Heels coasted 97-53 over North Carolina Central on Friday night. Wilson led the charge with 21 points and 13 rebounds, Henri Veesaar had a double-double, and it was more than enough to take care of business again.
What’s getting the job done to this point for North Carolina is outdoing teams inside the arc, an easier task when adding a talented 7-footer like Veesaar into the attack. We learned plenty about both sides in their win over Kansas and it’s hard to deny at this point that this looks like a team that can compete for an ACC title this season. Alas we’ll be waiting a little longer to see another true test, as the Tar Heels host Navy in their next contest.